Football: Brazil to host 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup

BRASILIA: The FIFA Women’s World Cup will take place in South America for the first time after Brazil was chosen to host the 2027 edition of the tournament.

FIFA delegates meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, voted 119 to 78 in favour of Brazil rather than a joint bid from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.

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“We knew we would be celebrating a victory for South American women’s soccer and for women,” said president of the Brazilian Football Confederation, Ednaldo Rodrigues.

“You can be sure, with no vanity, we will accomplish the best World Cup for women.”

The last edition of the tournament, in Australia and New Zealand in 2023, featured 32 teams for the first time and hauled in a record $570 million in commercial revenues. This will likely have played a role FIFA’s decision to expand women’s football to yet another new continent.

Furthermore, in FIFA’s evaluation report released on May 8, Brazil’s bid was given 4 out of a possible 5 points, while the joint European bid scored just 3.7.

The decision was made easier when the United States and Mexico withdrew their joint bid last month, in an effort to push for the 2031 edition.

Brazil’s bid includes 10 stadiums used for the 2014 men’s World Cup, with Rio de Janeiro’s famous Maracana lined up for the opening match and final. But there is still a lot of work to do, given the Brazilian football confederation is battling legal challenges against its president and some stadiums are in need of urgent repair.

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The host team will be hoping for a better outing than last time, when they made a group-stage exit.

A first ever FIFA Women’s World Cup win for Brazil’s women would be the ultimate dream on home soil.